1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer systems and database technology. More specifically an embodiment of the present invention relates to the field of portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PADs), cell phones, pagers, etc.
2. Related Art
Electronic organizers were introduced to the market years ago. These devices were commonly used to store and maintain address books, telephone listings and daily activity schedules albeit with limited number of records due to limited storage capacity. Subsequent development of such devices introduced limited capability calculating functions, weekly and monthly scheduling “to do lists” and business card files. The most noticeable developments in this family of devices, in the recent years, are increased memory size, reduced physical size, communication capabilities and increased functionality.
The recent emergence of Personal Digital Assistant, commonly known as PDA, introduced a new type of organizers. The PDA's have capability to store telephone numbers, addresses, daily appointments and software that keeps track of business or personal data such as expenses. Furthermore, present PDAs have the capability to synchronize to a personal computer, thus enabling the two devices to exchange updated information together. Additionally, the PDA can connect to a modem, enabling it to have electronic mail (e-mail) capabilities. Another recent development in PDA technology is capability to browse Web pages located on the Internet and synchronize, e.g., HotSync, with another device or with a compatible personal computer. Moreover, an advanced PDA can have Internet capabilities to communicate over a wireless interface. (e.g. radio interface).
A typical PDA user often uses the device during a business meeting. The user can easily access his/her customized telephone directory, schedule business activities, send and receive e-mails, and connect to the Internet. More advanced PDA devices, such as hand-held computer systems, have the capability to exchange certain category of information such as an electronic business card.
The advent of business and personal cards has facilitated such an exchange of information to a great degree. Through the years, the purpose of such an exchange has remained the same but the need for the exchange of information grew rapidly with the growth of society and with information technology.
The introduction of electronic business cards to the business community has proven to be a success. Nowadays, beaming an electronic business card to a business partner in a business meeting is rather common and considered an exercise of efficiency. Electronic exchange of business cards is gradually replacing the traditional exchange of paper business cards at business meetings as well as at the variety of social gatherings.
The exchange of electronic business cards between owners of electronic devices may have been first introduced in the business communities. The purpose for the exchange of business cards between business associates still remains the same and it is designed to invite possible future contacts. Social gatherings are no exception to this practice and the same exchange of information takes place everyday and at all levels of social gathering or other special events.
The type of information exchanged during these different events is not the same. One who is seeking a future business contact is interested in different information than the one who seeks a future social contact. The information on a business card may include business telephone number, business address, business fax number, and business e-mail. On the other hand, the information on a personal card may merely include personal information and no business related information, (i.e., home telephone number, home address home fax number and other personal information).
Furthermore, people are often in situations where neither their business cards nor their personal cards contains the sort of information they wish to share with another person in that particular occasion. In a particular occasion, one may wish to share some of the information on his/her business card with another person but not all of the information on that card. The situation can even be worst when one wishes to exclude some of the information on a particular card and add some other information on that same card.
To overcome such problems, in the past, people often carried different cards for different occasions. One might have carried a stack of business cards; for instance, a stack of personal related cards and another stack relating to his/her social activities. Depending upon the nature of social or business occasion, he/she would reach into a stack of different cards and would sort out the right card for the occasion. Carrying a number of single purpose paper cards is generally voluminous and awkward. Aside from the bulkiness of the cards, managing the cards and sorting them out at the time of exchange is inconvenient and time consuming.
This need arises from the fact that the user of such devices is not just associating with a group of business associates. They may have other people with whom they have daily contacts. A user of such device may want to exchange his electronic business card with a business associate in one occasion and immediately thereafter, in another occasion, exchange an electronic card with a casual friend. The user, most probably, does not want to include his home telephone number in the former exchange of electronic business card and not to include his professional title or other very formal information in the latter case.
Presently a convenient method for exchange of different electronic business cards is not available in the marketplace.